-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Dark Matter (Steam, $15) ABRUPTLY ends 4 hours in b/c the devs ran out of time/money.
- Thread starter chubigans
- Start date
Coreda
Member
The problem was disclosure. No one wants to be duped.
From the gameplay video the lighting and style of the game looks great, just a pity the experience is ended in such a jarring way. Why the devs decided for such a poorly considered cut when with some thought they perhaps could have changed the final level and ended with at least some cutscene and story text to be more plausible.
I mean, seriously, white unrendered text on a stark black background? Nothing could be more unprofessional.
From the gameplay video the lighting and style of the game looks great, just a pity the experience is ended in such a jarring way. Why the devs decided for such a poorly considered cut when with some thought they perhaps could have changed the final level and ended with at least some cutscene and story text to be more plausible.
I mean, seriously, white unrendered text on a stark black background? Nothing could be more unprofessional.
I mean the story says it failed so it seems like no one was wanting to.
People should definitely learn to read the thread a bit before trying to post reaction gifs or sarcastic replies. The issue here has nothing to do with Kickstarter or the money/length ratio angle.
If you watch the video and read the thread linked OP you would see the game ends in the middle of nowhere. The player in the let's play seems to be stuck at a puzzle/dead end procceeds to open a door and the game ends with a black screen with text explaining that this is the end. No end boss or final area. People in the steam thread are also explaining how the tutorials at the beginning of the game teach you to do things that aren't even used in the game, probably because you would need those after the point it ends abruptly.
It is misleading to sell this without explaining to customers that the game wasn't finished because of funding issues. Since this is about 4-6 hours and the finished game should have taken 12-16 hours, it's like making a game finish at the halfway mark but without bothering to set the pieces so you actually feel like having reached the conclusion of a game. Here it literally ends in the middle of nowhere with no indication beforehand that it would end there.
If you watch the video and read the thread linked OP you would see the game ends in the middle of nowhere. The player in the let's play seems to be stuck at a puzzle/dead end procceeds to open a door and the game ends with a black screen with text explaining that this is the end. No end boss or final area. People in the steam thread are also explaining how the tutorials at the beginning of the game teach you to do things that aren't even used in the game, probably because you would need those after the point it ends abruptly.
It is misleading to sell this without explaining to customers that the game wasn't finished because of funding issues. Since this is about 4-6 hours and the finished game should have taken 12-16 hours, it's like making a game finish at the halfway mark but without bothering to set the pieces so you actually feel like having reached the conclusion of a game. Here it literally ends in the middle of nowhere with no indication beforehand that it would end there.
AHA-Lambda
Member
Wow, this is shocking D:
I thought it cut to black on Meadow?
Yes... I said it's 'not' like a novel for that reason.
It's cool, man. Just want to try and stamp out the FUD aimed at KS when it's really a great service that does a lot of good things gaming and technology in general.
A 6-8 hour game is totally reasonable for $15... if it were complete.
There's no way that you could justify the price for this game since it ends so abruptly. With text!
Especially, since there's no indication anywhere an the steam store page that it's not finished and that they don't intend of finishing it.
Man, I hope that more people aren't tricked into buying this game.
Of All Trades
Member
Sadly for Valve it actually is their fault that they seemingly refuse to hire people for the purpose of rote tasks like CS or QC. SteamOS is going to be a hoot for that reason.
Didn't Halo 2 end on a cliffhanger?
IN GAME FORM
Simpsons win again.
I would be perfectly happy if everything was allowed on Steam but the store only featured stuff that is properly vetted.
I agree that they could use better customer service though.
This is not unprecedented. Quite a few animated series have run out of money and suffered from abrupt endings. Evangelion is most famous. The final few episodes have reduced animation, and the last two are hyper-abstract because they didn't have the budget for any action.
The End of Evangelion movie attempted to correct this, but was so expensive that they ran out of money again. They released the first half as a separate film to raise funds. They called it 'Rebirth' and it just ends abruptly, 40-odd minutes in.
Of course, ultimately The End of Evangelion came out and it was awesome.
The End of Evangelion movie attempted to correct this, but was so expensive that they ran out of money again. They released the first half as a separate film to raise funds. They called it 'Rebirth' and it just ends abruptly, 40-odd minutes in.
Of course, ultimately The End of Evangelion came out and it was awesome.
The game isn't a complete dud. Based on feedback, people were really enjoying the game until it just stops out of nowhere. Had it got funded, they could've actually finished the game and it would probably have been a very enjoyable experience all-in-all (though, of course the intended ending could've sucked as well, but at least it would've been an ending).
This game's Kickstarter campaign failed, they didn't get funded. They developed this 4+ hour part of the game without any funding from others, ran out of money and then just released the game as is. This has no relevance to Kickstarter being risky for customers.
wow cool.
XANDER CAGE
Member
I like how this thread is now about taste dickmeasuring about movies/games/etc that didn't feel like complete stories instead of actually discussing a game where the developer has straight up admitted that they actually weren't able to complete their goal. That is a massive, massive difference.
Weltall Zero
Member
Why read OPs when you can read titles, huh?
"In this thread"? People have been bitching about KS in every thread they can.
It's because to keep their cynic cred they need to shit on anything that could potentially change things for the better (and on anyone who might believe so, for being so naive). KS is a perfect target as it has already produced several awesome products and therefore several people are enthusiastic about it.
...that's what reviews are for. People acting like they should pull it and offer refunds are nuts. The game has a lame ending -- consider that when deciding to purchase it or not.
Planned content gets cut from games all the time. This is perhaps a more extreme example as they didn't do much to polish the end they did end up going with, but seriously guys -- just don't buy it if it bothers you that much. It's only $15.
Planned content gets cut from games all the time. This is perhaps a more extreme example as they didn't do much to polish the end they did end up going with, but seriously guys -- just don't buy it if it bothers you that much. It's only $15.
John Rabbit
Banned
lmao that guys "...what" at the end of reading the text passage killed me.
Well, If RAGE can get away with it...
In all seriousness though, this does seem really annoying. Dark Matter objectively does have an ending, on paper. But it also really doesn't. So because of that, I doubt there'll be any ramifications, like War Z and the bullshit they put on their steam page.
In all seriousness though, this does seem really annoying. Dark Matter objectively does have an ending, on paper. But it also really doesn't. So because of that, I doubt there'll be any ramifications, like War Z and the bullshit they put on their steam page.
"don't like it, don't buy it" is always the laziest fucking argument
what about the people who bought it without knowing the ending sucked? obviously you don't get to the ending until after you've already plunked down your cash.
Coreda
Member
It's not a case of having an unsatisfying ending - many games do - it literally just changes to a blank screen with text, seemingly out of nowhere. Nowhere do the developers mention this on the Steam page.
No one should have to read a review to expect some kind of proper ending to a game they've paid $15 for. Unless they're reading GAF or other forums how would someone know. This only will lead to much negative publicity as players finish the game.
I've spent $60 on a game where I thought the ending sucked. Doesn't mean I deserve a refund. Means I made a poor purchase choice.
re bolded: that's how it's supposed to work. Put out bad content, get a bad reaction. You can't expect someone selling you a product to convince you not to buy their product. It's not like they advertise a great cinematic ending.
They were misleading in their kickstarter and I'm glad it wasn't funded. They clearly stated they needed the funding for the final levels and polishing. 4 hours of game out of a planned 12-16 doesn't sound like final levels to me.
Interwave made Nuclear Dawn and that's a fun FPS+RTS hybrid. Too bad I'll probably never trust another project from them now.
Interwave made Nuclear Dawn and that's a fun FPS+RTS hybrid. Too bad I'll probably never trust another project from them now.
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
The ending didn't suck. It's in another castle.
blitzcloud
Banned
Not a wise decision. I believe they should have opted for a cliffhanger ending and rename the game as chapter 1. Then, given the commercial success, make chapter two and so on.
didn't ffix's official english strategy guide have a lot of links for what should have been printed in the strategy guide?
NinjamicWZ
Banned
Pretty hilarious but hey, If a game ends a game ends.
The problem I see is that people seem to think it matters that they talked about wanting to make more content.
ie:
So if they lied and said it was their artistic decision, it'd be the same bad ending but that's just how the game is. But they had the gall to be honest about regrettably not being able to create all the content they'd like, which totally changes things?
Sorry, but the product is the product -- buy it or pass on it. I'll pass on it and if someone happens to ask me about it, I'll warn them. The reasoning behind the product being the way it is has little to do with it.
Good fucking form.
I interviewed the dev for this game during the KS process. This is how this all went down:
So they developed the 4-6 hour demo prior to the Kickstarter campaign. Each area of the game is segmented from the other, with little backtracking between areas. The plan was for them to have 4 main areas IIRC: the areas in this portion, plus a lab and an alien area, with each as its own separate, unique spot.
So that's why it ends abruptly. They literally haven't built those levels.
Here's my interview with the dev: http://www.vgrevolution.com/2013/07/behind-the-bits-dark-matter/
So they developed the 4-6 hour demo prior to the Kickstarter campaign. Each area of the game is segmented from the other, with little backtracking between areas. The plan was for them to have 4 main areas IIRC: the areas in this portion, plus a lab and an alien area, with each as its own separate, unique spot.
So that's why it ends abruptly. They literally haven't built those levels.
Here's my interview with the dev: http://www.vgrevolution.com/2013/07/behind-the-bits-dark-matter/
Eeeeeeeeexcept some of the examples in this thread are pretty much exactly like what this game has for an ending and the creators have admitted as much. See: Neon Genesis Evangelion (they ran out of money and the final couple of episodes are basically anime equivelant to having a game end abrubtly with a few sentences of description after going through a not-special looking door).
A more experienced/responsible dev would have realized they were almost out of money and worked to create an appropriate end point.
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
People would still be pissed at this ending had he not admitted they didn't get in all they wanted. It was clear before they confirmed it.
My view is, they didn't cut content. They stopped working on the project and slapped a random "The End" screen on the last room they finished. I get the whole "the end is the end" mentality. I can't even tell you why I feel this is different exactly. It's just feels so shitty and lazy.
They wanted Kickstarter money, they didn't get it. They should have either not put it out, put it out as early access, or put in a little more effort and slap some quick ending on it. Instead they just put out what they had, trying to sell it as a finished product.
If I went to McDonalds and ordered a large coke and got a half full cup, I'd be pissed. "We would have liked to give you all the Coke, but we ran out of carbonated water." Well, you chose to sell me that half fucking cup, so now you get to listen to me bitch about it!
So, they literally put a "the end" screen on the end of their demo and released it as a full product? Nice.
Why the fuck didn't they just release this as early access?
Worst silly gimmick ever.
Ultra Magnus
Member
Man I keep coming back to this thread hoping that their is a developer update about them changing their mind. Oh well game looks very promising.
I'm not defending them releasing it in this state. Just explaining how it all went down. They shouldn't have released it in this state. Should be episodic or early access. Under that labeling it's a pretty robust game. But this seems like a way to just try to salvage some money on the project. Too bad because it is legitimately a fun game.
first of all this.
i never heard about a project which ended well.
also i read about some frauds...
so iam really hesitant about backing a project in the first place.
i feel so sorry about all those awesome ideas, but on the other hand, so much did not end well, so whats the point.
also the dev didnt say that the game is not finished or is short. so there is no problem. its a really unconvinient way of ending a game, i would be mad, but its not a bad thing, because the kickstarter failed in the first place.
so whats wrong about it?
also, you dont have any bugs or something during gameplay, right? why complain?
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
FTL was pretty cool, man.
"Early access" obligates them to continue development. They were honest about not having plans to continue development. I do think "Chapter 1" would have been better though.
I'm sure they'd continue development if they had the money. They have to pay their bills and they weren't able to do that.
I'm sure they'd continue development if they had the money. They have to pay their bills and they weren't able to do that.
blitzcloud
Banned
You have the time to read about frauds on KS yet don't have the time to read the simple OP.
Fun fact: I ran a Kickstarter campaign for a video game, and it released, and everyone on GAF got free copies.
Fun fact: you don't know what you're talking about.